Improvement in raft-slides



UNrTED STATES PATENT Orrroa. Y

JOSEPH VILES, 2D, OF EAU CLAIRE, VVISOONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAFT-SLIDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [56,000. dated October 13, 1 74 application filed February 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH VILES, 2d, of Eau Claire, in 'the county of Eau Claire and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Raft-Slides and Gates to be Attached to Dams and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the-upper side of my improved slide. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations of the upper end of the same, showing, respectively, the gate opened and closed; and Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical longitudinal sections of said slide upon lines x 00 and 3 y, respectively, of Figs. 2 and 3.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

My invention is designed to facilitate the passage of rafts of lumber or timber and of saw-logs by a dam in a river 5 and it consists principally in a raft-slide, having its general surface divided longitudinally into a series of steps, and transversely into three or more chutes, by means of runners, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, further, in the construction of the gate and its combination with the stepped slide and runners, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. It consists, finally, in the means employed for raising and lowering the gate, substantially as is hereinafter shown and described.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a dam, having any desired form of construction, in and through which is provided an opening, B. Within the opening B is placed one end of a chute, G, which from thence extends down stream to a point where a depth of water is had sufficient for floating a raft of logs or lumber. The parallel sides of the chute C are made plane and vertical, while its inclined bottom is divided into a series of steps, 0 and c, that at their lower ends are vertical, and from thence upward to their opposite ends have a downward inclination, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Extending longitudinally along the bottom of the chute G are two or more runners, D and D, that are arranged in parallel lines, and extend from a point somewhat above the highest portions of the steps a downward to the lowest portions of the same, so as to divide transversely the space between the side walls of said chute immediately above its said bottom into three or more separate channels. The opening B is partly or entirely closed, when desired, by means of a gate, E, which gate slides vertically within suitable guides, and, at its upper end, is pivoted upon a frame that is composed of the upper separated portions, D and D, of the runners D and D, hinged at their lower ends to or upon the contiguousends of the fixed portions of said runners, and united transversely by means of two or more crossbars, F and F. To raise and lower the gate E, a lever, G, having the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is pivoted within a suitable fulcrum, H, and at its shortest end is provided with a strap, g, that at its divided end is pivoted above the said fulcrum, and has such length as to cause its outer end to bear upon the curved end of said lever when dropped much below a horizontal line. A rod, I, pivoted at one end to or upon the cross-bar F, and from thence extending upward through the space between the ends of the cam-lever G and strap g, completes the raising mechanism for one side of the gate, the operation of which mechanism, in connection with that upon the opposite side of said gate, is as follows:

To raise the gate, the free ends of the levers are raised. The outer ends of the straps are pushed downward over the rods, and the movement of said levers is then reversed, so as to raise said straps and cause them to clamp said rods so firmly against the ends of said levers as to prevent slipping, after which said parts move upward together. By retaining one lever and strap in engagement with their rod, while the opposite lever is moved to a new position, the gate will require no other locking mechanism. To lower the gate, the operation of the levers, as described, is reversed.

The apparatus is now complete, and is used as follows: The gate being adjusted vertically until the necessary quantity of water flows over its top, the rafts are moved to the opening and permitted to pass through the same into the chute, where they slide upon or over the runners. The steps cause the force and velocity of the downward current to be materially lessened, While by the upward and forward inclination of the upper surfaces of said steps'the Water is thrown upward against the lower side of the raft, and assists in buoying the same up, and, consequently, in lessening its friction upon the runners.

By dividing the chute laterally by the: runners, the Water is caused to be evenly distributed across its bottom, and is prevented from accumulating at one side at the expense of other portions of said chute, While the extension of said runners to the bottom of each step effectually prevents the lodgment of driftwood.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, What I claim as new 1s- 1. A raft-slide having its entire surface divided into a series of steps which are vertical at their lower ends, and from the latter to their opposite or up-stream ends have a down- Ward inclination, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A raft-slide having its surface divided longitudinally into a series of steps, and transversely into three or more chutes, by means of runners, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The gate E, pivoted to or upon the upper ends of the hinged runners D and D, and arranged to move vertically Within the opening B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The means employed for effecting a vertical adjustment of the gate E, consisting of the cam-levers Gr and G, straps g and g, and rods 1 and I, constructed andcombined to operate in the manner substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 16th day-0f January, 1874.

JOSEPH VILES, 2D. [L. s.|

Witnesses:

J. 1*. ELLIs,

ABEL DAVIS. 

